MESSAGE FROM TODD
Wow! I can't believe it's already May.  What an exciting month it has already been.  Since I have last written, I have been to Ocean City, Maryland, Chicago, Illinois, and now I'm in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  Not only that, our new facility is 95% complete and we are 3 weeks away from our official opening of our new expanded facility and launching many new programs and services- I'm so excited!
I would like to personally invite you to attend our Grand Opening celebration of the new facility on Saturday June 16, 2007.  Details of this festive day are enclosed in this issue of TD Times, with more information soon to follow.  People will be traveling from all around the country to come have some "Spark-a-tinis", fine food, witty banter from the Fitness Quest 10 staff, and the unveiling of the new digs.  All are welcome to come have some fun, and you are most welcome to bring along your family and friends.  Whether you want or need a vacation or just want to come out to San Diego to hang on the left coast, I'd love to have you join us for our special celebration.
My friends, it is always good to connect with you through TD Times.  Enjoy this "Mother's Day" Edition of the newsletter.  For all the Moms out there, Happy Mother's Day!  For all the fathers out there, take care of those Moms this weekend.  Mothers are so special and teach us so much about the meaning of life.  Don't forget to thank your Moms and do something special for those precious ladies!

Peace and Health,
Todd Durkin

FEATURED ARTICLE: RECIPES FOR SUCCESS IN GROWING A BUSINESS (PART I)
By Todd Durkin
Fitness Quest 10 is about to embark upon an exciting growth journey- the opening of our 5,000 square foot expansion.  At a staff meeting a few days ago, I shared 8 key  points to help them focus on our mission and vision.  This is Part 1 of a 2 part article: the conclusion will be in the June edition of TD Times, so stay tuned!

It is said that you either “grow or die.”  I love to study how we as individuals, organizations, and businesses continue to grow.   As we continue to evolve and attempt to improve the quality of our lives, growth will inevitably allow us to achieve our life’s mission.  Along the way, there are many lessons to be learned.

 Fitness Quest 10 opened in 2000 as a one-man, 2,000 square foot personal training and massage therapy studio.  In just a few days, we will be opening our expanded 5,000- square foot state-of-the-art training center.  The expansion will allow us to continue offering all the services we currently offer and much more to better serve our customers.  In addition to personal training, massage and bodywork, Pilates, yoga, and nutrition, our new facility will allow us to touch people in the following new ways:

Teleseminars
Annual Mind, Body & Health Retreats
Life Success Coaching
Executive Roundtable Mastermind Groups
Metabolic Testing
Limited Memberships
Executive locker room with infrared saunas, country club lockers, and full shower facilities
June 1 is when all of this officially begins.  There has been a lot of sweat, energy, and time invested in creating it.  Many lessons have been learned and many opportunities created.  I would like to share a few of the lessons I have found to be extremely valuable in creating a successful venture that you can apply to your own life or business:
 

Be Smart about your Growth
Don’t grow just for the sake of growing.  Have a plan and a strategy.  As an athlete, I never went into a game without a game plan for winning.  Do the same with business.  Create a strategy, a roadmap, a business plan for where you are heading and where you want to end up.  It starts with creating your mission and your vision.  Your business plan should give you the information you need to decide whether to proceed to the next step.

Conquer Your Fears
In other words, “JUMP.”  Whatever the decision you are making, if you have developed a sound strategy and plan for success and you have negotiated the best deal possible, there will ultimately come a time when you have to make a decision.  You either “jump or not jump.”  What are you going to do?

Listen to your gut.  You have done all the homework you can, you have all the numbers (And they can be downright scary!), and it’s going to come down to your instinct.  What is your risk vs. reward?  Will you be able to sleep at night?  Are you passionate about your vision and willing to stand up for it in battle?

One thing that I have learned is how to be a “strategist vs. an opportunist.”  This means that many opportunities will come your way.  If you jump at every one, it will dilute your brand and take you away from what you do best.    Be smart about which opportunities to pursue.

Remember, Thomas Edison failed many times before he finally discovered electricity.   Our experiences in life (win or lose) are all learning experiences that make us more prepared for the next opportunity.

Remember too that “money likes speed.”  Make calculated decisions as quickly as you can without rushing.  There will never be a perfect time for anything.  Don’t be afraid to take calculated risk if you believe in your mission and vision. 

Focus on the Fundamentals
Growth often means change.  Some people are uncomfortable with change, but it can be a very positive thing. It is important to remember your core competencies and what you do best.  For us, it is our personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, and yoga. 

Currently, many “changes” are taking place at our business and it is a great time of growth for us.  I remind our staff to concentrate on what they do best and the rest will take care of itself.  We have the systems in place. It is also important to know your role on the team. 

My college football coach used to always say, “Trust your preparation.”  In other words, all the groundwork has been laid, your game plan is intact, now go out and execute.  It is the same in business.  Trust your preparation, focus on what makes you great, and everything else will fall into place.


HAVE FUN
There are two minutes to go in the game, and the ball is in your hands.  What are you going to do?  Some people thrive on this adrenaline.  That’s how I feel now in opening the new facility, and I love the anticipation of all that is about to happen.

When you are going through the process of growth, never forget to have fun.  Whether that be enjoying family time, fun with colleagues or teammates, or special moments with clients, life is too short to not have fun.  Remember your essence, your soul, your reason for living.  Do the best you can at all times, believe in yourself, and have fun doing it. 

The last 10 months have been unbelievable.  So many decisions, so many opportunities, and so many emotions:  excitement, fear, anxiety, anticipation, stress, fatigue, frustration, enthusiasm, pride, and a sense of accomplishment to name just a few.    I recently asked my boot camp participants what they thought it takes to be successful.  It seems like I have taught them well.  The answers I heard were:

Focus
Passion
Vision
Determination
Menatl Toughness
Will-Power
 Spiritual Balance
Commitment
Physical Conditioning
Support & Teamwork
Compassion
Motivation
Perservarance
Discipline   
                            
Absolutely right.  If you are looking to get to the next level, which areas are you strongest and in which areas do you need the most help?  If you want success in your life and you want greatness, these are the characteristics it often takes to get to the next level.

If you want to grow, you must take risk.  It must be calculated risk, but at some point you are going to have to pull up your boot straps and jump if you really believe in something strongly enough.  Dare to go for greatness in all that you do!

GUEST ARTICLE: RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR THE YOUTH ATHLETE
By Vince Gabriele, CSCS
Over the years athletics have become a very important part in the lives of our youth. This is a good thing considering the problem of childhood obesity growing in our country. Much more attention needs to be paid to the physical condition of our future leaders. Approximately 30 million American children (50% boys and 25% girls) participate in competitive organized sports. These huge numbers have also brought up the injury rates due to many of these athletes being physically unprepared to participate in sports such as football, soccer, basketball, baseball and lacrosse. When a child has a test their homework is to study as hard as possible to get the best grade they can. In sports, it should be the same way. Before you enter a game or competition your body should be physically fit to perform the demands of the sport. Now I am not saying stop studying for your history test and go hit the gym for 3 hours. It is imperative for our young athletes to dedicate time for getting their bodies prepared for all of their physical activities. 

The definition of resistance or strength training is to increase ones ability to produce or resist greater forces. In this definition there is no mention of needing to use very heavy weights that are loaded on your spine.  There are many forms of resistance training: free weights, bodyweight, resistance bands, air resistance and weight machines. Would you be opposed to having little Johnny perform a workout with his own bodyweight, a chin-up bar and a resistance band?  These are all forms of strength or resistance training. Strength training does not always involve squats and deadlifts using very heavy weight.

Prepubescent children are susceptible to growth plate injuries, but according to Kramer and Fleck, there have not been any reports of growth plate fractures during any studies with appropriately designed programs and quality instruction.(2) When  injuries have happened with young athletes and resistance training, the culprit is usually improper form, poor program design and unqualified instruction. Avery Faigenbaum, an expert in research for strength training for youth athletes performed a study on maximal effort lifting with 64 boys and 32 girls from ages 6-12. No injuries were reported during the study.  (1) In another study designed to see if youth strength training will reduce injury the authors suggest that the incidence of overuse injuries sustained by young athletes could be reduced by 50% if more emphasis was placed on the development of fundamental fitness abilities before sports participation.(3)  Research suggests that Strength training for youth athletes will not be harmful unless performed improperly and will in fact help athletes prevent injury and improve performance.

Benefits of youth strength training
There are several benefits to our youth when they participate in resistance training. When a young athlete takes part in a resistance training program the biggest impact is on the nervous system. You will not see many young kids walking around looking like a little He-Man but they still have the capability to get stronger due to a more functional nervous system. This development will allow these young athletes to produce more force.  Other benefits for youth athletes performing resistance training are:

-Improved self confidence and self esteem
-Potential to prevent injury
-Improved Strength and Body Awareness
-Increased Bone Density
-Improved strength of tendons and ligaments
-Potential to prevent childhood obesity
-Hard work and discipline
-FUN
 

Guidelines for Youth Strength Training
-A young athlete should be evaluated by a sports medicine physician to identify any medical problems and musculoskeletal deficits(4)
-The program should be implemented by a qualified strength and conditioning professional or personal trainer that understands the needs of young athletes.
-Program should be started with a physical assessment where the trainer can evaluate the young athlete to help design a program based on the athletes individual needs.
-Proper instruction about the technique of each exercise should be communicated in way the young athlete will comprehend.
 

Program Design for Youth Athletes
-->Two to three training sessions per week is most effective for young athletes.  Research indicates that two sessions per week was more effective in improving strength in young athletes when compared to one session per week. (5)

-->30-minute strength training sessions are a great place to start. This will allow the other 30 minutes to dedicate to speed and agility training in a one hour session.

-->Proper warm-up should start every training session followed by a post session cool down and stretching.

-->Perform 1-2 sets of 10-15 reps to target the major muscles and movement patterns while at the same time avoiding severe muscle fatigue to prevent damage to muscle and joint structures.

-->The goal of resistance training should be to improve sports performance and prevent injury.  Using weight training as a sport such as powerlifting and bodybuilding should be avoided.

-->Exercises like squats, pushups, chin-ups, rows, single leg squats, rotator cuff exercises, sled work, bridges and planks are great exercises that almost all can be with your own bodyweight. If using exercise machines, be sure that the machine is fit for a young athlete. Machines that are meant for adults are usually not suitable for young athletes.

The acceptance of youth strength training has definitely increased over the past years. There is still the idea of many parents that it is harmful to young athletes. The most important aspect is that each athlete is following safe guidelines to ensure that they are in fact preventing injury and not causing it. A clear understanding of the definition of resistance training is crucial. The fact that workouts using only bodyweight are considered a form of strength training should ease the minds of many concerned parents. Young athletes are taking their fitness to the next level by participating in a resistance training program. With the increased competitive nature of youth sports every athlete is trying to get an edge on the competition. Youth strength training is a great way to build a better athlete or just a more confident kid.

Vince Gabriele, CSCS, is the Director of Football Development and Training at Fitness Quest 10.  He trains all levels of athletes, from the youth athlete mentioned in this article to several NFL football players.  He recently concluded filming his first training DVD “Strength and Size for the High School Athlete”, which is set to be released for distribution this spring.

REFERENCES
Faigenbaum A, Laurie A. Milliken, Wayne L. Westcott. “Maximal Strength Testing in Healthy Children”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2003, 17(1), 162–166
Kraemer, William. Steven J. Fleck. Strength Training for Young Athletes 2nd edition.
Faigenbaum, A. Schram, J. “Can resistance Training Reduce the Injuries in Youth Sports?” Strength and Conditioning Journal 26(3) p18 2004
Baechle T. Roger Earle. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning 2nd edition.
Faigenbaum, AD. Miliken, LA. Loud, RL. Burak, BT. Doherty, CL. Westcott, WL. "Comparison of 1 and 2 days per week of strength training in children". Res Q Exercs Sport 2002 Dec: Vol. 73 (4). pp. 416-24.

COOKING CORNER
By Julie Wilcox, GM of Fitness Quest 10
I love it when I come across a new product that is healthy, easy and great tasting.  Last Sunday while at Henry's Marketplace (a premier health food store here in San Diego) pondering the dinner that I was going to create, I found Ezekiel sprouted wheat pasta.  Ezekiel is better known for its bread, but this pasta seemed great.  Checking out the label, a 2oz serving gives you 210 calories, 2 grams of fat, 39 carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar and 9 grams of protein.  WOW!!!!!  So after purchasing the pasta, this is the recipe that I came up with...

Sprouted Wheat Pasta Primavera
Makes 4 Servings
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup of sugar snap peas cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup onions chopped fine
- 1 cup of mixed yellow, red and orange mini peppers, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup of fresh herbs, loosely chopped (basic, chives, Italian parsley, oregano)
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- zest of lemon
- 1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved and drizzled with balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup light feta cheese

Heat a large saute pan with the olive oil.  Add the onions and peppers, saute for about 5 minutes.  Start to boil the water for the pasta; it only takes 4-5 minutes.  Add the snap peas and garlic to the onions and peppers, saute for 2 more minutes and then add the chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes.  When the pasta is done, drain and pour into the vegetable mixture, add the fresh tomatoes and feta cheese.  Garnish wit freshly ground pepper and lemon zest. 

I like to serve with turkey basil sausages from Trader Joes and mixed green salad.  Also great with grilled shrimp!!!

"Cooking Corner" is a monthly contribution from Fitness Quest 10's very own General Manager Julie Wilcox.  Creating and cooking healthy and simple recipes is one of Julie's passions!

TD'S TIPS
-- Ever wake up in the middle of the night with a "to do list" repeating in your head?  When under stress, your mind is working too hard to keep things organized, when it should be allowing you to relax and recover.  Give it a rest!  Try keeping a journal by your bed and spend the last fifteen minutes of your day taking as much out of your head as possible.  Jot down everything you can: tasks, thoughts, even dream goals.  With less in your head, your mind can shut down and let you sleep.  Patrick Jak, BS, IFPA, USAC II, USAC PBTC, Personal Trainer, Fitness Quest 10

-- As summer is quickly approaching, our bodies have to adapt to the increase in heat and humidity.  Not drinking enough water may result in headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramping.  Drinking more water than average during these heat spells will keep your body hydrated and happy.  An easy way to incorporate more water is to drink 4 ounces (or half a glass) every hour you are awake.  Another hydration strategy is to attempt to drink half your bodyweight in fluid ounces per day.  Happy Hydrating!  Cara Regas, MA, ATC, Personal Trainer, Fitness Quest 10

-- Don't isolate yourself!  If your goals are to lose weight and get in shape, or you are crunched for time, don't focus so much on exercises that focus on only one muscle group.  For example, any time you pull, either vertically or horizontally, you will use your biceps in addition to your back muscles.  Likewise why you push, you will use shoulders and triceps in addition to your chest muscles.  Therefore, you will save time and burn more calories with multi-muscle exercises like the bench press and seated row, and you can eliminate bicep curls and triceps extensions.  This same principle can be applied to your lower body as well.  Ryan Rogers, MS, CSCS, Fitness Quest 10, Strength & Conditioning Coach and Personal Trainer

--CHECK THOSE MEDS!  If you have started an exercise program and are taking medication, take a few minutes to review the possible side effects as it relates to exercise.  You can find good information at WebMD, or ask your Pharmacist or MD.  For example, over-the-counter medication like Sudafed can cause a significant increase in heart rate, while others (like some blood pressure medication) can cause your hear rate to remain unusually low.  Both will affect your performance.  Sharon Hill, M.S., ACE-CPT, Fitness Quest 10 Veteran Personal Trainer

-- Are you finding balance in your life?  The word "balance" is often what people overlook when they are struggling to feel good about themselves and how they live each day.  For every individual, that "balance" will be something different.  As you look at your life each day, ask yourself, "Am I eating right? Am I getting enough exercise? Am i finding ways and time to promote relaxation? Am I making time for family and friends"" And finally, "Am I making time for activities that I enjoy outside of work?"  All of these questions are important in helping to maintain balance in your life.  Many cultures, particularly the Eastern culture, belive that it is an imbalance in your life that causes disease and illness.  As you look at this day, decide to have balance in your life, and then make it happen.  Shari Fishel, HHP, Fitness Quest 10 Massage Therapist

ANNOUNCEMENTS
--- NIKE print photo shoot with LaDainian Tomlinson today, May 10th, and tomorrow, May 11th.  Nike is releasing a new pair of shoes and we are doing the shoot right here at Fitness Quest 10.  Since I will be traveling to present at AFPA, I have appointed Director of Football Vince Gabriele to put LT through the paces and show him the ropes.  Go get 'em Vince!

--- Next week on May 18th I will be doing a NIKE video shoot with LaDainian for the upcoming football season. 

--- Don't miss our official Grand Opening Party on June 16th, 2007 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm, right here at Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA!

--- The brand new Fitness Quest 10 will be launched in June- stay tuned fore more details!

ABOUT TODD
Todd Durkin is a 2 Time Personal Trainer of the Year and Founder of Fitness Quest 10 & Todd Durkin Enterprises in San Diego, CA. He trains people from all walks of life, but is best known for the work he does with over 25 NFL Superstars. He trains the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Alex Smith, and Donnie Edwards amongst others. His expert staff of 25 trainers, coaches, and massage therapist/bodyworkers perform over 400 weekly sessions and help educate, motivate, and inspire the world to greater levels of health & fitness. Todd has 14 DVD's on fitness & sports performance and has been featured in many national magazines and media outlets. His ezine newsletter "TD Times" is his way of connecting clients, trainers, coaches, colleagues, and friends from all over the world. He can be best reached through his website or by e-mailing him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .